[NYTr] Senate Restores $47 Million to Gusano "Destabilize Cuba" Budget
 
Date: Sat, 8 Sep 2007 17:29:52 -0500 (CDT)

Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit
 
sent by Jane Franklin

The Miami Herald - Sep 07, 2007
http://www.miamiherald.com

Senate restores aid to Cuban opposition [sic]

BY PABLO BACHELET

The Senate agreed Thursday to restore President Bush's requested $47
million funding for Cuban opposition groups in a foreign operations
spending bill.

Until now, the Senate had not made any pronouncements on Cuba policy.
With the House and Senate in agreement on the levels of dissident aid
for Cuba, the increase in funding is almost certain to become law.

Earlier this year, senators in charge of appropriations cut the aid to
$15 million, only a modest improvement from the $10 million a year Cuba 
democracy programs got in the past.

The Senate approved an amendment to increase the funding by unanimous 
consent.

It was presented by Florida Republican Sen. Mel Martinez and
co-sponsored by Republican Sen. John Ensign of Nevada and Democratic
Sens. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Bill Nelson of Florida.

The increase is the latest setback for opponents of U.S. policy toward
Cuba, who argue that the aid is ineffective in bringing democracy to
the island and that more engagement with the Castro government stands a
better chance of producing democratic changes.

The House defeated a similar measure before the summer recess in a sign
that Democrats in control of Congress were not eager to change U.S.
policy toward Cuba as Cuban-American lawmakers and their allies stepped
up their lobbying efforts.

Menendez, speaking on the Senate floor, said Cuba's democracy activists 
deserved more support as their work was ''powerful and meaningful.'' He 
cited a rise of ''civil resistance'' actions in Cuba as evidence that
groups there were more active.

B) 2007 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.

 
                                 *
=================================================================
.NY Transfer News Collective     *    A Service of Blythe Systems
.          Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us          .
.339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012      http://www.blythe.org
.  List Archives:      https://blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/
.  Subscribe:    https://blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr
=================================================================